Steel Erector Salary in California

$37/hr

Compare California structural steel employee wages with erection duties, project schedules, overtime terms and the benefits attached to each offer.

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What Steel Erectors Earn in California

California structural iron and steel employees earn $22.83–$56.75/hr across the range shown here, or $47,480–$118,030 a year. Steel erectors share this occupation with other structural ironworkers. These wages exclude premium pay and benefits. Read an offer alongside its connection duties, travel arrangements and working hours to understand what the employer expects for that pay. Separate base wages, overtime and employer payments when comparing offers with different shift patterns.

Hourly rates by level in California

What each rung of the trade is paid, before overtime and per diem.

Apprentice · 0–2 yrs
$22.83–$28.47/hr
▲ 6% from last year
Journeyman · 4–8 yrs
$28.47–$49.99/hr
▲ 6% from last year
Master · 8+ yrs
$49.99–$56.75/hr
▲ 6% from last year

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Where do you stand?

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$/ hr

Use your base rate, not what you take home after overtime.

You're right around the middle

$28.00 is above roughly 46% of this market. The top quarter starts at $36.00, and the median sits at $29.00.

10th
$18
25th
$23
Median
$29
75th
$36
90th
$45
YOU · $28.00
Your percentile
46th
Among this market
Your annual · 40 hrs
$58,240
Before overtime and per diem
Gap to median
−$2,080
Below the median

Calculate pay with extra credentials

Pick your level, add certifications, select shift — the estimate updates live.

1Your level

2Certifications you hold

3Shift & work type

4Overtime & per diem

Weekly overtime hours8 hrs
Per diem (per day away)$0

An estimate, not an offer. Overtime is paid at time and a half past forty hours.

American RecruitsEstimate
Journeyman Steel Erector
California · Day Shift
Base rate$39.23
+ Iron Workers Local 433 Apprenticeship (journeyperson)$2.67
+ OSHA 30-Hour Construction$1.43
+ Aerial/Scissor Lift (MEWP) Operator$0.12
Effective hourly$43.45
Straight · 40 hrs$1,738
Overtime · 8 hrs @ 1.5×$521
Weekly gross$2,259
Annualised · 50 weeks
$112,970
8 OT hrs/week · California

Who pays the most in California

These national sector figures give California erectors context for bridge, specialist structural and nonresidential building offers. Ask employers which erection duties each vacancy includes.

01 / 03$39.28/hr

Highway and Bridge Construction

Bridge members bring lifting sequences and traffic interfaces into the job. Ask how closure windows shape shifts and which DIR classification covers public bridge work.

+ Bridge assignments
+ Heavy connections
– Traffic exposure
– Closure schedules
02 / 03$30.45/hr

Structural Exterior Contractors

Specialist contractors handle structural packages within a broader foundation and exterior industry. Discuss beam connections, decking and the C-51 contractor responsible for the erection package.

+ Erection focus
+ Varied structures
– Elevated tasks
– Delivery timing
03 / 03$29.78/hr

Nonresidential Building Construction

Commercial building crews coordinate steel with other trades. Clarify erection and welding duties, then ask how California daily overtime applies to long concrete-placement or decking shifts.

+ Building projects
+ Trade coordination
– Shared access
– Sequence changes

Which states pay steel erectors the most

Median hourly across every state with a published guide for this trade. Cost of living is not netted out — compare take-home, not just the rate.

  1. 01Californiathis page$36.72/hr

What each certification is worth

Sorted by payback speed.

CertificationRate bumpExtra / yearCostPayback
Iron Workers Local 433 Apprenticeship (journeyperson)+$2.67$5,554$00 weeks
OSHA 30-Hour Construction+$1.43$2,974$1593 weeks
Fall Protection Competent Person+$0.38$790$14910 weeks
Aerial/Scissor Lift (MEWP) Operator+$0.12$250$5913 weeks
NCCCO Signalperson+$0.38$790$20014 weeks

What overtime actually adds

Past forty hours the rate is time and a half. Built from the rate above. At $36.72/hr.

40 hr week
$1,469
No OT
50 hr week
$2,020
+$27,540/yr
60 hr week
$2,570
+$55,080/yr
70 hr week
$3,121
+$82,620/yr

Questions workers ask

What if I miss a rest break on a steel job?▾
Your employer owes one extra hour of pay at your regular rate for that workday. DIR's Labor Commissioner explains that IWC wage orders require a paid 10-minute rest period for every four hours worked. Ask how crews rotate breaks during lifts.
How should I compare a public bridge offer with building work?▾
Start with the public project's applicable DIR determination and ironworker classification. Read the basic wage, employer payments and overtime provisions together. Then compare travel, shift timing and the work expected. The national bridge figure above does not set California prevailing wages.
Must my employer keep certified payroll on public steel jobs?▾
Yes. California Labor Code Section 1776 requires certified payroll records verified under penalty of perjury. Contractors must furnish copies within 10 days of a written request from DIR's Labor Commissioner.

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Current BLS California employee wages for Structural Iron and Steel Workers, SOC 47-2221; employee earnings exclude premium pay and benefits.

Last updated October 23, 2026. Rates are market estimates, not guarantees.